Negative effects of air conditioning and alternatives to its use

The air conditioning has become one of the main appliances in our homes. While a few decades ago it was only present in shops and office buildings, as well as in a few homes, today it is rare not to find it, at least in homes located in warm or coastal areas. Additionally, current models have managed to make them useful not only in the summer months but also able to expel warm air in winter. However, what negative effects of air conditioning can we suffer if we misuse it?

First of all, it should be noted that air conditioning units have been in use for over a hundred years - in the history of ventilation the appearance of air conditioning in 1902 is estimated as an important milestone - and it is not a system to criticize. It is a great ally for fighting heat and, used in moderation , it is very satisfying.

But it cannot be ignored that its use requires a large amount of energy, and that it is sometimes used to camouflage deficiencies in many homes. For example, if a house is poorly built, it will need greater air conditioning, as heat seeps in during the summer and cold in the winter. This forces us to use air conditioning equipment too frequently and at very high power, leading to excessive energy expenditure. Furthermore, high use of this type of air conditioning in a poorly ventilated home can worsen health problems within the home.

First of all, what can affect our installation to suffer negative effects of air conditioning ?rn

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• Gas leaks can cause the equipment to waste energy and not cool sufficiently.
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• If the compressor does not start, it may be an electrical failure, but it may also not heat up, which would affect the indoor temperature.
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• There may be dripping from the air conditioning unit, but it is also possible to suffer jets of gas discharged from the unit if there are errors in the circuit.
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• Inadequate designs of pipes, which are sometimes found in poor positions.
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• Failures in the circuit. Normally, it is quite difficult to identify where the problem is in a line
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• Having a home poorly prepared to combat cold and heat.
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rnThe last point is perhaps the most important. Most of the times a usage error with air conditioning equipment is due to poor building conditioning. Thanks to the thermal insulation , it is possible to avoid the use of traditional air conditioning systems most of the time, or for them to be turned on only at times of maximum necessity.

Similarly, a home poorly prepared to combat cold or heat may suffer from defenselessness when using air conditioning units and that the indoor air stagnates and is not renewed, which could lead to diseases that would afflict the people occupying those rooms.

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Health problems due to negative effects of air conditioning

rnOn those very hot days, we turn on the air conditioning and soon feel a great sense of well-being. Although it does not heat rooms as quickly, the same unit can also make us feel better in winter by blowing warm air.

But after a while we may start to notice the effects of thermal discomfort that occur because of air conditioning. Some of these effects are: rn

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1. Dehydration. Do you feel very thirsty when using air conditioning or notice dry skin? This is because the use of this type of traditional air conditioning dehydrates us by sucking too much moisture from the rooms. This tends to happen more frequently with temperatures set very low.
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2. Headaches. If you suffer from migraines at home or discomfort after a good while using the air conditioning , you already know the cause. Poor air renewal when using air conditioning equipment can make us feel bad without knowing why.
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3. Respiratory problems. A recent study claims that 28% of buildings with air conditioning cause their inhabitants to suffer from rhinitis, while in homes without this type of air conditioning, only 5% of the cases are rhinitis. The throat, nose and even the eyes are susceptible to worsen in places with air conditioning.
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4. Dry skin. This also occurs due to dehydration.
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5. Bad odors. Without good air renewal , we suffer from bad smell problems.
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rnIt is not about criticizing the use of air conditioning units or saying that they only have negative effects . What happens is that, to achieve good use of these types of systems, it is best to combine it with mechanical ventilation solutions , which will ensure good air renewal and take into account the humidity in the environment automatically.